Lampounette Near The Penny Ferry Bridge

There are many wonderful sights and bridges in Durham City Centre which makes strolling along the River Wear all the more enjoyable. Let me enlighten you on this gem!

The lamp called Lampounette sits nicely on the edge of a new piazza by the suspended foot bridge which was going to be called the Millennium Bridge. Fortunately, it is now called The Penny Ferry Bridge. More about that later.

This 20 foot high installation is a 'replica' of the good old angle poised lamp. My first job was working in a drawing office as a tracer for Marconi Radar and this was an essential piece of kit. As a friend said, it was great at warming your hands at a cold start to the working day. This model has LEDs instead of the 60W lightbulbs we had.

Some will say it reminds them of the Pixar lamp from the movies. It certainly is surrealistic.

A row of these green lamps were first on display in London for their Lumiere in 2015.

It was installed as part of Durham's Lumiere in 2021 and it became a permanent installation. Lumiere is a biannual festival in Durham City, combining art with light at night. It is also practical as it serves as a street light in the area.

The creators and manufacturers of Lampounette are a French company called TILT. They say on their website

"We are Tilt. Illuminators, do-it-yourselfers and imaginative, the artist at TILT design and create large-scale lights, somewhere between sculptures and street furniture. Inspired by nature or everyday objects invented by TILT forma surreal, dreamlike universe where poetry rubs shoulders with joie de vivre".

The technical team has a range of skills including, welding, electronics, and metalwork. Their logistical team takes the installations to their destinations and sets them up.

At night the lamp is lit with its LEDs. See here how Fabulous North's Glamorous Assistant is demonstrating a tilt by TILT!

The Lamp sitting by the Penny ferry Bridge is a pleasant setting. The bridge is worth a mention and dates back to 1796 when there was a wooden bridge first erected here. Before this, those wishing to cross the River Wear would 'pay the Ferryman' a penny for a boat ride across the River Wear. Then in 1804 an iron bridge was constructed. The current suspension bridge was built in 2002, built with stainless steel, and has cabled stay elements. It is a footbridge so it is quiet without the noise of traffic.

Nearby you can hear the roar of the weir which is worth a look.